


Twelve Days of Shipmas

by crowdedangels



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: 12 Days of Holiday Shipping, F/M, Fluffy McFluff, somewhat connected prompts, tropes galore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-14 21:40:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13016712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowdedangels/pseuds/crowdedangels
Summary: Twelve shippy, Christmassy scenes chock full of tropes.





	1. Ugly Sweaters

**Author's Note:**

> My SG1/Sam x Jack contribution to the '12 Days of Shipping' Prompts on Tumblr. New chapter posted daily (hooefully!)

"What?"

Jack smirked, "Nothing." Sam knew exactly what he was smirking at but wanted him to say the words. "Any plans tonight?" 

She looked up to the illuminated floor number of the elevator. "Not much. You?"

"Nah. Usual."

She nodded. She could practically feel how much he was fighting with himself to say something.

"They say it'll be in the minuses tonight..."

"Felt like it this morning." 

"Mmhmm." 

"You'll need to be careful on the bike." He absently gestured before digging his hand back into his pocket. "Extra layers underneath the leathers."

Here we go...

"Santa should keep you warm," he was flat-out grinning now. 

She looked down to where Santa's face peeped between the lapels of her leather jacket. She slid the zipper down to reveal the garishly red sweater actually had Santa Claus riding a Harley, a red beam from the front like Rudolph's nose and silver threaded snowflakes dotted around.

He laughed, "Of course he's riding a bike!" 

She grinned, zipping it back up, "My kind of Santa."


	2. Ice Skating

"That's it, you're getting it," Jack smiled. Cassie flailed a little, hands flapping at her side as she skated unaided. It was taking her a while to get the hang of it but Jack was patient and enjoying it. It had been a long time since he'd skated and even longer since he had taught someone else. "So you didn't skate any in... Toronto?"  
  
She shuffled her feet, propelling herself slowly across the ice, "Winter was our rain season."  
  
"It can be here too," he smiled, seeing a flash of melancholy. "That's it...steady..."  
  
Cassie was studiously looking to her feet, her body woodenly jerking as her legs slid forward. She cast a look to the side and shouted "Mom!" before losing her balance and falling to her butt with a thud. "Ow."  
  
Jack hauled her back to her feet while Janet hollered from the sidelines, "You're doing great, sweetie!"  
  
Cassie waved, missing Jack's gesture of 'she's doing _alright_...' as kids and families whipped either side of them. The rink was always popular in the run-up to Christmas.   
  
Janet smelled the hot chocolate before Sam made it to her. She said her thanks and took the paper cup in her gloved hands.   
  
"How's she doing?"  
  
"Erm...well she's determined..."  
  
Sam laughed, bringing the cup up to her lips. She had a cream bobble hat on and a very red nose. "God, it's freezing."  
  
"It's been like this all week. You'll feel it more after your two suns."  
  
"Take me back. All Goa'uld are forgiven."  
  
Janet snorted, "Not sure the Colonel would agree with you."  
  
They both smiled and gestured to their steaming drinks when Cassie waved for them to join. "I haven't skated in years," Janet offered, wishing there was something a little more warming in her cup.  
  
"Me neither. Used to be pretty good as a kid."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Mom loved it. Think she wanted to tempt me away from the Air Force to be a figure skater really."  
  
Janet nudged her fringe beneath her hat, "I could see that."  
  
"It was never going to happen. Not once I saw their science programmes."   
  
"Jason Delvecchio."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Captain of the Ice Hockey team. Dark hair, great smile."  
  
"Good kisser?"  
  
Janet smirked, "Oh yes."  
  
Sam laughed, shaking her head as Janet seemed to be going down memory lane.  
  
"The Colonel's good on the ice," Sam remarked as he skated backwards holding onto Cassie's hands.  
  
"Nearly played professionally."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Blew his knee out when he was a teenager. Too much for ice hockey but not enough for the Air Force."  
  
"I didn't know..."  
  
Cassie was heading straight for the hoarding with no sign of slowing despite Jack's calls of 'bring your toes in! Your toes!' She jack-knifed over the top and laughed heartily. "Mom, you gotta come skate! It's fun! But the ice is hard."  
  
Janet chuckled, stroking around her daughter's face and cupping her chin. "I'm going to sit this one out, kiddo. But Aunt Sam is dying to relive her youth."  
  
"Erm-"  
  
"Youth, eh?" Jack interjected, sidling up to hoarding.  
  
"Nearly professional."  
  
Sam scoffed, "Nowhere near professional."  
  
"Aunt Sam you gotta! Come on!"   
  
Sam sighed in defeat, " _Okay_ , I'll go get skates." She turned to Janet on her way past, whispering to her "And I'm never telling you anything again."  
  
"Sure," she laughed.   
  
Sam took her first tentative step on the ice. The last thing she needed right now was two broken ankles and it had been more years than she'd care to count since she had a pair of skates on, so was taking it slow.   
  
"Need a hand?"  
  
Sam replied "No, thank you," though her eyes and smirk also said don't test me, Colonel.   
  
Cassie took their hands and they did a lap of the rink, the youngster giggling when Jack and Sam skated ahead just a little and catapulted her forward. Sam's confidence on the ice was quickly returning and Cassie looked more and more stable with the two at her side. She soon grew tired and thirsty and slid off towards the gate and her Mom.   
  
"Race?" Jack asked, seeing Sam's flushed cheeks, rosey nose and enjoyment twinkling in her ice blue eyes.   
  
"Colonel, how old-" and then she was gone. She was already around the corner and meandering through people before Jack had even managed to shout out " _Cheat_!"  
  
He took off after her, garnering an admonishment from the staff as they weaved through the crowds at speed. Sam was grinning, practically doubled over forwards and looking behind to check where he was.   
  
Close. He was close and getting even closer. She could have gone faster but it wouldn't have been wise with the amount of people and small kids on the ice. He quickly caught up, still panting "cheat" but a smirk belying any ill feelings.  
  
They zoomed around side by side until a kid fell at Sam's side and gave the slightest knock to her boot, sending her scattering and taking Jack with her. They ended in a heap of limbs and still sliding until Jack dug his skates into the ice.   
  
He was on his back, Sam on top. Her breath was warm on his face, her hands wrapped around the lapels of his coat and face just inches away. It was almost as everywhere went silent and he caught the flush that coloured her cheeks even more. He looked from her eyes, to her lips, eyes again...  
  
"You guys okay?" An unfamiliar voice asked, slamming them back to reality almost as hard as the ice had been. Sam began to ungainly extract herself, taking the proferred hand of the young staff member to bring her to her feet. "You were going too fast, y'know."  
  
"Yeah..." She beat off ice crystals from her legs. "Sorry."  
  
He helped Jack up. "Maybe you should call it a night, huh?"  
  
"Sure, kid," Jack laughed as he skated away. "Can't believe you got us kicked off the ice, Carter."  
  
"Me? The kid took my legs but I was still upright until you fell on top of me!"   
  
They skated towards the gate, "You fell into me, kicked my boots."  
  
Sam laughed, that probably was what happened but she wasn't about to admit that. "Did not!"  
  
Jack held the gate open for her, "Did to! I probably have the imprints to prove it."  
  
Sam scoffed as Janet and Cassie joined them. "Children, do I have to separate you two?"  
  
"You have fun, kid?" Jack asked Cassie, ignoring Janet entirely.  
  
Cassie nodded emphatically, the marshmallows on her hot chocolate bobbing in her hand. "Can we come back tomorrow?"  
  
"Not tomorrow, Cass, maybe next week though. Need to nurse a few bruises your Aunt Sam caused."  
  
Sam gave him a whack on his chest.   
  
"Like that one."  
  
Janet rolled her eyes as Cassie chirped a giggle and she lead the girl back to the cafe. "We'll leave you to get your shoes. Hot drinks on me when you're ready."  
  
Jack and Sam sat down on the bench and began picking at the laces, cursing soon frozen fingers for the length of time it took. "I didn't ask, are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine. But thank you for asking."  
  
"Course."  
  
"Are you? I mean, I landed pretty heavily on top of you."  
  
He bit down the response of ' _you can land on me anytime_ ' and went with "Yeah fine, you're strong but light."  
  
She had to laugh at that one, "Thanks."  
  
"So nearly professional, huh?"  
  
"Not quite. Heard you were though." They joined the queue to the retrieve their shoes.  
  
"Many a moon ago. Was scouted but fell badly after a foul tackle. Blew my knee out and it all ended before it started."  
  
"That's rough."  
  
They both handed their skates back, dodging the pools of melted snow from their socked feet. "For a while. A bit of rebellion and soul searching and I joined the Air Force."  
  
They said their thanks as two pairs of boots were placed before them and took them back to the benches. "Mom took me skating every Saturday. We'd drop Marc at football and I'd skate for two hours while she watched. Then we'd go get burgers. I had fun, but I mainly did it for her."  
  
"Because your Dad was away?"  
  
"Yeah. And Marc already resented him for being away so much so I was kind of a peace keeper."  
  
Jack nodded, "Well, you got good."  
  
She grinned, standing up and straightening out her jeans. "Oh, that was nothing. Remind me to show you my double axle one day."  
  
"Oh I will."  



	3. Decorating

"Sir!" Sam called, jogging through the halls after him. "Can I ask a favor?"  
  
"Depends what that favor is, Carter."  
  
"Would it be possible to borrow your truck tonight? Two hours tops."  
  
"My truck?"  
  
She fell into step with him, "I want to get a tree this year. A real one. I've worked the last few Christmases but I'm rota'd off this year, and a tree won't fit on my bike and likely crush my car..."  
  
"Sure. Yeah."  
  
She was beaming; it wasn't good for him when she beamed. "Thank you. About 1800hours?"  
  
He nodded and kept on his journey while she turned back. "Hey, Carter. Mind if I tag along?"  
  
"Sure," she shrugged, still smiling.   
  
He pulled up outside her house, her sports car in the drive and yeah, no chance that would get a tree home, though he imagined she would have given it a good try. He knocked and she answered immediately, before he'd even finished. "Hey."  
  
"Hey!" She had biker boots under tight jeans, a cream polo neck sweater with cuffs longer than the leather jacket she wore on top. All topped off with the cream bobble hat and matching scarf. He suddenly felt bad for choosing his paint-splattered work jeans and black and white padded plaid jacket he wore for jobs. "Thanks for this."  
  
"No problem. No Santa?" He gestured to her sweater.  
  
She grabbed her keys from the cabinet and smirked, closing the door behind her and following him to the truck. "No Santa."   
  
He cursed himself again for feeling like a shub next to her, but also, how could she make such a simple outfit look both cute and sexy as hell? Clearing his throat, he asked, "I brought Teal'c along, hope that's okay. Figured if we needed to carry a tree, might aswell bring along the guy who can. The lot on Main St?"  
  
"That was where I was thinking." She climbed into the passenger side, "Hey Teal'c."   
  
"Major Carter."  
  
She smiled and turned back to Jack, "Are you getting one too, or just not trust my driving?"   
  
He shook his head as he started up the ignition, "Just fancied the drive out." He lied. He hadn't decorated for Christmas since Charlie died and had always volunteered to cover shifts over the holidays for those with families. After a rough few months, however, Hammond had insisted SG1 stand down which thrust Jack into dealing with things. He still didn't particularly plan to decorate but figured the best place to start dealing would be at the Tree Lot - Charlie's favourite Christmas tradition.  
  
The smell of pine, mud and fake snow hit him as soon as he opened the truck door and took him a few moments to get past the wave of nausea that enveloped him.   
  
"So it is a tradition," Teal'c asked, fixing his bob hat over his ears and tattoo, "to cut down a tree, allow it to die in your home while adorned with ornaments?"  
  
"All in the name of Christmas, my good man," Jack slapped his back. "I don't really get it either but it sure smells good when it's up."   
  
Teal'c wasn't convinced but followed the two further amongst the trees.   
  
"Any preferences, Carter?"  
  
"Five foot or so. Noble fir, but not really fussed."  
  
They circled the lot a few times, avoiding the staff wearing various Christmas hats with bells and side-stepping wayward, hyper children. A few memories came to Jack's mind - losing Charlie and having the heartattack end they found him up a tree - and he found himself chuckling. When Sam had finally settled on one, had it cut and wrapped, Teal'c slung it to his shoulder much to the amazement of the young staff.   
  
Teal'c went on ahead and deposited it on the truck bed and Jack hung back while Sam paid. "You okay?" She asked.  
  
"Fine."  
  
She said nothing but her eyes spoke of her disbelief at his reply.   
  
When they fell into step back to his truck, he confided, "Charlie loved to pick out the tree. I haven't done it since he died. "  
  
She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed in silent affection. He appreciated the lack of questions. Jack locked up the back of the truck while Sam looked around for Teal'c, eventually finding him helping a young woman with her tree while she wrangled two young kids.   
  
"Hey T, we're good to go," Jack called.   
  
"O'Neill, I will stay. I have been asked to help that lady and then the elf has asked me to stay."  
  
"You got a job?" Sam smiled.  
  
"I am merely assisting, Major Carter."  
  
"Are they paying you?"  
  
"They are compensating for my services."  
  
"You got a job," Sam smiled. "What time do they let you off?"  
  
"10pm."  
  
Jack smiled, slapping his back and telling him, "I'll swing by."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Jack and Sam climbed back into the truck while Teal'c went off to his first customer. "Only T could get a job within ten minutes of being somewhere."  
  
"The super strength does work in his favour."  
  
"And the tall, dark and handsome thing."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Jack flicked a look over to see her smile lit by the passing street lamp. They were soon back at Sam's and between the two of them managed to get the tree from the truck and through the door with minimal loss to branches, pins and wallpaper.   
  
"Happy?" Jack asked, wiping the sweat from the back of his neck. She took a step back and looked at the squat noble fir in the corner of her living room.   
  
"Happy. Listen, do you want to stay? Help me decorate before you need to collect Teal'c? Doesn't make sense to drive across town again." She then suddenly thought about Charlie and how it might be difficult for him. "Unless, I mean-"  
  
"Sure. Yeah. " He did get a slight wave of nausea again but good memories had come back after the tree lot so maybe this would too? And he couldn't deny the thought of decorating a tree with Sam brought a little sappy excitement to him also.   
  
"Okay great! I'll get the boxes and some beers, you find something on tv for us."  
  
He flicked through the channels and found a showing of an old Christmas musical on one of the networks and figured that would work.   
  
Sam didn't have a lot of ornaments, a few sentimental ones from childhood but most were generic store bought. That was what happened when you were usually away over the holidays. She had a few stories attached to some pieces he picked out of the box - 'that was my grandma's,' 'I bought that one vacation when I was nine. I was very into unicorns,' 'my niece made that in second grade'.   
  
Sam cleared away the boxes when the tree was done and brought fresh beers. A new movie was starting and he still had a while before Teal'c was ready. She turned off the main light and just had the room lot by the warm white tree lights and from the kitchen. He tried not to think of it as romantic.   
  
"Thanks for staying. I was dreading putting the decorations on to be honest."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You see all these movies of the single girl drowning her sorrows in a bottle of wine while that sad Judy Garland version of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' plays and I didn't want it to be me.'  
  
He nodded, understanding fully because, other than the single girl but, it was why he had avoided his own decorations for a good number of years. "Glad I could help."  
  
"I don't think I've seen this one," she gestured to the tv with her bottle.   
  
"It's a classic! You've never seen 'White Christmas'?"  
  
"I take it the song comes from this one?"  
  
"And more. My grandma used to play it every year. I think she had a thing for the General. And Rosemary Clooney's outfits."  
  
Sam grinned, settling her arm onto the back of the couch they shared and resting her head on her hand. Her legs were curled up beneath her but angled towards him. They watched in silence for a while, Sam smiling to the tv during certain scenes and Jack watching her face in the warm glow of the fairy lights.  
  
This was not good.   
  
He checked his watch and drained his beer. "I should get going."  
  
"Right." Sam seemed to snap out of the comfort she had afforded herself and her socked feet were quickly planted on the floor and beer to the table. He grabbed his coat and she opened the door for him. "Thanks again."  
  
He turned back to her; she had one hand in her back pocket and was holding on to the door like it was a almost a shield between them. "Anytime. See you tomorrow."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
He twisted his hat in his hands and stalked towards his truck. She watched him drive away after calling "I hope Teal'c had a good shift."  
  



	4. Shopping

He was just staring at it in the aisle. He shouldn't, he knew he shouldn't but... shouldn't he? Really?  
  
It wasn't like it was a big thing. And it didn't cost a lot. But...  
  
For crying out loud, why was he tripping up so much about this? If he saw something for Teal'c or Daniel would he think twice about buying it?   
  
Maybe he should find stuff for the guys too. That would make it less obvious that he was buying a gift for-   
  
"Oh, screw it."   
  
It was in his basket and woe betide anyone who had an issue with it. 


	5. Snowball Fight

They all acted innocent after the first was thrown. It hit Teal'c square in the chest and he merely looked down unscathed and bemused as the snow fluttered back to the ground. The other three in the team looked at each other as if to say 'Well it wasn't me!'  
  
Daniel looked around in case it had come from a fifth party, which made him the perfect target for Jack's snowball which was a perfect shot to the back of his head, eliciting a yelp and strange dance as the snow slipped down his collar until the remainder fell from his t-shirt with a light thud to the ground.   
  
Sam was in combat mode, feet planted, eyes wide but amusement and mischief sparkling behind the ice blue and above a rosey cold nose.   
  
It was a standoff. All ready for battle and to blow off a little stream after an uninteresting expedition.   
  
"To your posts!" Jack hollered, and the three with military training quickly found good cover behind trees, stumps and huge boulders while Daniel essentially spun on the spot. That again left him the easy target as three well placed snowballs came at him and had him zig-zagging, shouting 'hey!' and high stepping towards a tree stump that he would have to basically lie prone behind to have any kind of cover.   
  
Snowy weapons were thrown, laughter rang out into the cool afternoon and mild threats of revenge promised after successful hits.   
  
Sam tried to curve one over Teal'c's boulder but left herself open to Jack's expertly thrown snowball that landed to the side of her neck; a curse escaped her pale lips as she ducked back down. Jack did an over emphasised forward roll from his cover to hers and slammed his back against the large tree stump. "Did I get ya?"  
  
"You know you did!" She grinned at the boyish delight on his face as she tried to rub warmth back into her neck.   
  
He looked around the side and saw a gauntlet of missiles flying between Teal'c and Daniel. "We could totally take Daniel. Ready?"  
  
She scooped and packed snow into a round-ish ball and turned onto her knees, crouching behind the top of the stump. Jack readied his icy ammunition, counting down silently on his fingers.   
  
3...  
2...  
1...!  
  
Jack hurled his snowball over the top while Sam shoved hers down the back of his collar. The air was _blue_ while he pulled the shirt from his back and she laughed unabashedly.   
  
"Oh, it's like that is it?"  
  
"All's fair," she grinned, one hand in the snow and ready to assemble another ball should he decide to avenge her revenge.   
  
  



	6. Carolling

He kept his eyes on the tv screen as he went to answer the door, a beer still in hand.  It was a repeat of a baseball game that, as usual, he had been off-world for. "Carter!"

"Hi Sir," she smiled.  She always seemed awkward when she was stood on his doorstep - those few times that she was.  Too many eyes.

"Is that my jacket?" He gestured to the plaid working jacket he had been looking for and assumed was in his truck somewhere. 

"You left it at mine after we did the tree."

"Ah. You coming in?"

"Erm, sure, yeah, for a little while," she stepped over the threshold and passed him back his jacket.  Being off-world and barely making it from the front door to her bedroom otherwise, she hadn't noticed the jacket in her front room until her day off. "Good game?"

"For the other guys. Beer?"

"Thanks." She descended the steps into the main room, glanced at the teams and the one-sided score with a grimace, and noticed the single string of fairy lights draped across the fire place mantel. She flicked the switch and tiny multi-coloured bulbs meandered through the picture frames and ornaments.

"The Christmas spirit is alive and well here, I think you'll agree," he passed her a bottle of Guinness, his voice light.

"I actually think you might need to tone it down a bit."

They clinked bottles and he gestured for her sit, turning the volume down on the game. They were sat on the two chairs, Jack relaxed back while she was somewhat awkwardly perched. "You all set for Christmas then?"

She nodded as she took a long swig of Guinness. "Couple of gifts posted to my brother, couple of others, one for the science lab Secret Santa..."

"You have a science lab Secret Santa?"

She nodded with a grin, "We each picked a periodic table element instead of names, just to really geek it up."

His mouth faltered before chuckling, "Okay. Who did you get?"

"Now that would be telling."

"You can't even hint? What if I guess elements?"

"You can name 118 elements?"

"I can name some of them."

"Can you name everyone in the science department?"

"I can name some of them."

She laughed; that proper full beam, white teeth, sparkling eyes, mesmerisingly open smile that made his stomach clench a little. His mind flashed to recent events when they were racing on the ice, then entangled, the easy laughter at their banter with the snowball fight... He drained his drink. "Another?"

She looked at the half empty bottle in her hand as if somewhere on the label or etched in the glass it said ' _It's just a drink with a colleague. At Christmas.  It's allowed. And no one knows you're here_.'  "Sure." She gulped the remainder and handed the bottle over. 

She got up again and looked through the photographs and medals. She was there. Well, the team was. It was from Daniel's birthday drinks last year. Hammond and Jack were sat at the bar, Sam leaning into frame with the General's hand on her back. Daniel was stood between the men while Teal'c was at Jack's side, complete with Murray hat and Janet tucked into his side.  The height difference between the two was made all the more obvious by Janet bending over slightly in laughter at a joke Jack had made. Sam smiled.

"Remember that night?" Jack asked, handing her another bottle. 

"I do. Not sure Daniel does."

He chuckled as memories came back to him. He sat down on the couch, his elbow digging onto the back and head resting onto his hand.  "Doc Fraiser had him on IVs most of the next morning."

"She could have done with a few herself,'" she smiled, settling into the other side of the couch, one leg curled beneath her and the other foot flat on the floor. She mirrored him in resting her elbow in the cushion and cheek on her hand.

"She can hold her liquor for being so tiny."

"She's very proud of that," she smiled, threading her fingers through her hair.

"Are you going there for Christmas?"

"Mmm. Janet's working the graveyard so then Cassie's staying with me."

"She'll love that."

"I think so. You're welcome to come over."

His lips curved into the slightest smile, "Yeah?"

She contemplated his smile, how her heartbeat felt like it was suddenly reverberating around her rib cage.  She stretched her arm across the back of the couch, toying with the cuff of his sweater, her eyes focused on her fingers delicately stroking across his skin. She caught the motion of him licking his lips and anticipatory tingles erupted in her stomach. "Sir-"

He edged closer, "Carter, I-"

Doorbell.

Jack breathed, "For cryin'..." and screwed his eyes shut as she extracted her hand.  "Hold that thought."

He was almost at the door when a voice suddenly began singing from the other side. 

"Is it carollers?" Sam asked. 

"No. Worse."  He turned the doorknob and a dishevelled Daniel stumbled on his feet and erupted in another verse as a flurry of snow wafted into the hall.

" _Go-ooooood_ ," he took a deep breath, "restyemerrygentlemenohsomethingdodeclare!"

"Those aren't the words."

"Jack!" He looked almost surprised to see him, though it might have been more to do with how dirty his glasses were and how potent his breath was.  Jack stepped to the side and he crossed into the house,  nearly falling down the steps into the living room.  "Sam! No, wait, _shhhhh_ , I'm interrupting."

"Sit down, Sparky." Daniel had tried to turn around but Jack grabbed the back of his collar and sat him down on the couch. "I'll make some coffee."

"I'll take a cup too, please."

Jack faltered on his way to the kitchen and she saw the flicker of disappointment on his face. "Sure."

Daniel was looking to his feet sheepishly, "I interrupted."

She couldn't deny that. "You have a good night?" He was shivering and the chill was surrounding him like a shield. She hoped that coffee came quickly.

"Silar invited me for a drink."

"Wait, you didn't drink his homebrew, did you?"

"I did..."

"Oh Daniel..." She bit her lips to keep from laughing. He was going to need some IVs tomorrow. 

Jack returned with the coffees and set them down on the table, telling Daniel to "Drink."

"It's going to take more than that. Daniel here has been on Silar's homebrew."

Jack barked a laugh, "I'll get the aspirin."

By the time he came back, Daniel was asleep and wrapped in a blanket against the arm of the sofa. Sam had her hands wrapped around her mug and was watching him sleep. "He's out."

"I'm not surprised."

"Listen, I should go."

"Good luck with that."

She looked to him confused and he gestured to the window. She got up to a deep, fresh blanket of snow that was definitely impassable. "Oh..."


	7. Snowed In

"I'd never be able to get the truck out, never mind your sedan." They were both at the window watching as fresh snow continued to fall. The truck wheels were almost encased and there was the beautiful silence and stillness that came with snowfall. He saw the flicker of doubt across her face, the worry of perceptions and desires. "He'll be fine out here, you can take the spare room."  
  
She thought about it, contemplating the honesty on his face and the odds of getting her car safely across town and decided she didn't really have a choice. "Yeah. Yes, okay, thanks." She looked back to Daniel, "He does this often?"   
  
"Around this time of year, sometimes, yeah. Not for a few years though. His parents, Christmas... it dredges stuff up."  
  
"Oh..." Sam had no idea and felt a flash of guilt as she sat back down next to him and tucked the blanket under his chin. Jack stoked the fire, adding another log to make sure Daniel warmed up.   
  
"Sir, about earlier..."  
  
"On pause."   
  
"Sir-"  
  
"Indefinitely." Didn't have to be tonight, didn't have to be tomorrow or even soon, but they were going to revisit that if it killed him. Apparently he silently conveyed that because he caught just the beginnings of a smirk curve her lips before she looked down and hid from his eyes.   
  
"Yes sir."   
  
"So, seeing as you're stuck here and Danny boy is sparko, drink?" He disappeared back to the kitchen, telling her about a deck of cards in the top drawer of the unit at her side.   
  
She reached over and grabbed the pack, shifting the table further to the centre of the room and between the two chairs. Jack returned with a bottle of scotch and two cut crystal glasses. Her eyebrows rose when she caught the label and remembered balking at the price one time when she had contemplated buying a bottle. He shrugged, "S'Christmas. Blackjack?"  
  
She gave the pack a quick shuffle, "Aces high, loser drinks."  
  
He couldn't tell if that was a question or a statement, "Deal me in."  
  
He poured out two shots while she fully shuffled the decks with a flourish that spoke of skill and made him question how much aspirin he had in his cupboard. She was poorly hiding her smirk when she dealt out four cards.   
  
Jack had a nine and a five.   
Sam an ace and a seven.   
  
"Fourteen," Sam counted. "Hit or stand?"  
  
"Hit."  
  
She flipped another card, "Five. Nineteen. Hit or stand?"  
  
He looked at his cards, at hers, at the glint in her eye egging him to take another card and he was close to just downing the drink anyway to steel his nerves. "Stand. You go."  
  
Eighteen. It was risky. She needed a two or a three and the chances of that... well she could do the math but not when he was looking at her like that. Screw it. She flipped.   
  
Two!   
  
"Drink up," she beamed, flicking her nails under the corners of the cards so she could put them back into the pack.   
  
Jack took his glass and questioned his pour because he wouldn't be able too last many losing hands with those measurements. Sam took hold of hers too and clinked his glass. "I thought losers drank?"   
  
She shrugged, "S'Christmas."   
  
She stumbled down the hall an hour and a half later with flammable breath and a need to sleep. She dragged her hands down both sides of the hallway to keep her balance and cursed her college card shark days. And alcohol. She cursed alcohol more. "G'night."  
  
"Hmpf."  
  
She turned and elegantly fell back against the wall when Jack suddenly came back out of his room carrying a small bin and holding up a 'wait a minute' finger. She watched him place it in front of Daniel and ruffle his hair before heading back towards her. "He's a puker."  
  
She smiled warmly at him. Even three or four sheets to the wind he still had his team on his mind. "G'night, Sir."   
  
She was glassy eyed, rosey cheeked and her eyes were practically translucent. They got like that when she had liquor or certain off-world civilisation offerings. She had quickly learned to sip - or even fake sip in some cases - so it had been a while since he had seen them like that. Her lips were glistening and pinker than usual. He wondered if he'd be able to taste the whisky.   
  
He wet his own lips and could taste the scotch on himself which didn't help the wandering his mind had taken. His voice was hoarse and gravelly, "G'night, Carter."   
  
He saw the shiver run down her spine and he reached out to run the backs of his fingers down her arm. The word 'dangerous' was echoing quietly in the back of his head somewhere.   
  
She hummed in pleasure, her eyes closing, before turning on the spot and around the door jamb into the spare bedroom. "G'night, Sir."   
  
He stared at the closed door, his fists clenching at his side. "G'night Carter."  



	8. Baking

"Sam!"   
  
She looked up from the microscope to find Cassie and Janet at the doorway. "Hey guys!"  
  
"Can we come in? Don't want to mess anything up." Janet had a firm group on her daughter's shoulders to keep her from bounding into the room.   
  
Sam looked around to double-check for anything dangerous or classified and waved them in right as Jack appeared at the door, announcing "I thought I heard a munchkin."  
  
Cassie grinned, "Hi, Uncle Jack. I brought cookies!"  
  
Sam caught the flinch on Janet's face as she joined them at the other side of her bench. She shot her a questioning look while trying to match Cassie's enthusiasm in her voice, "Oh yeah?"   
  
"Mmhmm. Cassandra wanted to make some Hankan cookies that they would usually make this time of year," Janet explained with a voice that sound sceptical to the adults but supportive to the child. "They have cinnamon and ginger, but we had to substitute another ingredient because it doesn't look like it's grown here..."   
  
Cassie peeled the lid from the tub and very proudly offered the cookies.  
  
"It took a while," Janet continued, "but we were able to find similar aromatic bulb produce-"   
  
Jack and Sam both took bites. "Is that garlic?" Sam's nose crinkled in disgust though she tried her very best to hide it.   
  
Cassie nodded, beaming proudly.   
  
"Nice work, kiddo!" Jack grinned, unfathomably taking another bite. Sam side-eyed him in amazement as the sweet, spicy, garlicky cookie sat heavily and pungently on her tongue, refusing to be swallowed. "You know who would love these? Daniel."  
  
Janet smirked.  
  
"Can we go find him, Mom?"  
  
"Course we can, sweetie."  
  
Jack reached over and took another from the tub before they left and Cassie was practically skipping.   
  
As soon as they were away, Sam spat into her hand and threw it into the bin. "You enjoyed that?"  
  
"God no, it's disgusting."  
  
"Then how...?"  
  
"If you've survived pregnancy cravings, kid food and what passed for MREs in the seventies, you can eat anything." He broke the cookie in half, avoiding her gaze, "Besides, take out the garlic and it's a pretty good cookie!"  
  
Sam smiled warmly, "That's very sweet."   
  
"I have my moments."  
  



	9. Sledding

It was the tree exploding at Sam's side that prompted Jack to holler for them to retreat. It crawed at him but he wasn't going to leave them there like sitting ducks.   
  
The only issue was that there was nowhere to retreat to. There were out in the open, just the pretty sheer drop down the snow covered hill next to them. Jack didn't fancy them trying that descent on foot.  
  
Teal'c shot some staff blasts towards the tree line, knocking some of the Jaffas out but that still left over twenty aiming straight at them.   
  
"Carter!" Jack pointed to the two broken pieces of the structure that the Jaffa had blown up as soon as SG1 had indicated to head for it. She followed his gesture and instantly understood. Passing one of the large pieces to Daniel, he watched as she shot a hole into the top of it, threaded the rope from her pack through the hole and fashioned a very crude sled.   
  
Teal'c copied with the gunshot and rope and had Daniel climb on board at the front. Sam sat down on the other and Jack and Teal'c shot some cover fire before climbing on behind their drivers of sort.  
  
"Go! Go!"  
  
They nudged themselves forwards and tucked back into the sled as they quickly picked up speed. Teal'c held onto Daniel's shoulder, his staff weapon pointed behind and firing towards the top of the hill.   
  
Jack slung his arm around Sam's waist trying to hold on as the rickety makeshift sled careened down the hill. A few choice words left him as they suddenly hit the bottom flat and the sled began to shake and break apart. He fell off to the side, the sled basically disintegrating and Sam tumbling along with him in his grasp.   
  
They were both still when they eventually stopped sliding through the blanket of snow. They were on their sides, spooned together as they listened for Jaffa followers and caught their breaths. His arm was still around her waist, his chest tucked tightly against her back, his nose essentially buried in her hair.   
  
"Sir," she panted quietly. "You okay?  
  
He swallowed down the feeling of her voice vibrating through her body as he clutched onto her. "Just about. You?"   
  
"I'm fine. Can you see the guys?"  
  
He took that as a sign to get up and extract himself from her and did so reluctantly. He sat up, arms out to the back and propping himself up on the snow. He was sore but nothing broken and nothing a few aspirin wouldn't sort. "Hey T? Daniel?"  
  
There was a groan from the left. Sam got up and followed the noise to find Daniel on his back, hands on his chest and looking slightly dazed and confused. He groaned again. "You okay, Daniel?"  
  
He was in the divot of a Teal'c-shaped snow angel. She bit her lips together to keep from laughing. "Where's Teal'c?" He groaned in response.  
  
"I am here, O'Neill."   
  
He was coming back from the trees further to the left.   
  
"You okay, big guy?"  
  
"I am uninjured. There is a building in the trees, it should provide us with sufficient coverage."  
  
"Excellent, let's go. Daniel, can you make it?"  
  
Another groan.   
  
Sam couldn't help but laugh this time as she held out her hand to help him up.   
  
He got to his feet, muttering, "Teal'c weighs a lot."  
  
"I assure you it is muscle, Daniel Jackson."  
  
"Heavy muscle."


	10. Christmas Party

It was nice to see most of the SGC personnel out together. You so rarely saw everybody out of tense, save-the-world situations, so to blow off steam and celebrate a pretty successful year was appreciated.

Walter had called through to Malone's to inform (warn) that a large group would be descending and chicken wings and the like would be readily accepted.

Jack was propping up the bar with a beer, watching as Sam schooled various ranks at pool. The side board to the table was lined with piles of coins indicating who had the next round against the winner which, through no cheating and sheer skill, had been her the last four games. He kept ordering her a drink when she gestured and had it passed along to her by the hoards of guys. She was whooping ass and they loved it.

Daniel was sat with the other archaeologists talking animatedly about something. He was on cola, apparently his brush with Silar's home brew was enough to send him tee-total for a spell.

Teal'c was off world visiting Master Bra'tac.

Janet seemed to have attracted the advances of a tall gentleman from another group. From what Jack could tell from a distance, she seemed to be discreetly insinuating things with her straw that had the guy blushing.

"-And that's Sam Carter," Jack heard a voice announce behind him. He didn't turn but listened as the conversation unfolded.

"Wait, that's _the_ Sam Carter? Who the professor kept on about at the Academy?"

"The very same."

"Damn."

"Mmhmm. Hot, intelligent, can fly the ass off an F22. She's the literally perfect woman."

"Is she single?"

"Look but don't touch."

"But-"

"She's- General O'Neill! I-I didn't see you there, Sir."

Jack spun around on his chair, sad he had been caught out despite his attempt at incognito but quite possible thankful in the long run. He saluted with the beer bottle to his forehead, not uttering a word.

"We, er... you have a great night, sir."

"You too, _Bartholomew_ ," he made sure to use the young SFs name. Yes, it was petty and yes, he had outgrown that kind of behaviour a good forty years ago, but damn if it didn't feel to school a younger guy. A part of Jack dared to hope that the sentence his presence had cut short was something to do with him and Sam, but a much bigger part knew that that kind of talk or thought process was not conducive for either of their careers. Besides, Sam could very easily fight her own battles and didn't need him silently threatening retribution on her behalf. She could quite easily kill a man with a look (or even lack thereof), never mind her thumb.

The woman in question suddenly sat at his side.

"Sir."

"Carter. Wait, did you lose?"

She shook get head, her lips wrapped around a bottle before she could speak. "Got bored. There's only so many men's hearts you can break in one night."

He clinked their half-empty bottles together, "You would know."


	11. Mistletoe

The sirens rang out signalling the welcome return of Teal'c through the Stargate. Jack and Sam stood at the end of the platform, "Welcome back, buddy."  
  
"Greetings O'Neill, Major Carter," the horizon disappeared behind him and the iris slid closed. He had his traditional Chulak robes on but now carried with him a canvas bag over one shoulder.   
  
"Some Christmas shopping?" Sam asked.   
  
"I have brought with me a traditional Chulak harvest plant as a festive offering," he announced, looking pleased with himself. "We decorate the homesteads with Viscum and the village's children present bouquets to their mothers for thanks and prosperity."   
  
He produced a plant that looked an awful lot like-  
  
"Mistletoe. "  
  
"You know of this plant, O'Neill?" He held a branch out and Jack essentially took a step back.   
  
"Er, yeah, we have that plant here, T, but it has a very different connotation."  
  
"Oh?"   
  
"There's an old superstition," Sam explained, amused by Jack's reaction but also slightly wary of the visual. "Where you hang mistletoe in doorways and whomever find themselves stood beneath it must kiss."  
  
"Yeah, so you can understand why you don't tend to find it in military bases, Teal'c."   
  
He looked disappointed, "I see."  
  
Jack and Sam looked at each other, "Listen, why don't you keep it in your quarters, eh? I mean, nowhere public where it could be construed as an inappropriate advance?"  
  
"I would like that, O'Neill."  
  
He bounced on his toes, "Swell."  
  
They began walking to his room. "So Tau'ri really kiss beneath Viscum?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Interesting."  
  
"Don't be getting any ideas."  
  
He looked to them as he opened his door, what could only be described as mischief sparkling in his dark eyes, "Of course not, O'Neill."  
  
The door closed and Jack and Sam looked to each other again. "Why do I not trust him?"  
  
"Because he is essentially a giant Jaffa teddy bear and hopeless romantic?"  
  
"Yep, that's why."   
  
They were still stood outside his door, talking about kissing and mistletoe and after everything lately... "I have a thing-"  
  
"-Yeah, me too, a thing, I should go-"  
  
"-See you later-"  
  
"-Bye-"  
  



	12. Gift Giving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! Thanks for sticking with me on this ride; it has been a lovely wee challenge. Hope you all have a happy Christmas and a healthy new year!

He stamped the snow off his boots onto the doormat and rang the bell.   
  
She wasn't surprised to see him. "Merry Christmas."  
  
"Merry Christmas, Carter."  
  
She stepped to the side and let him in, taking his big jacket when shrugged it off. "Go through, I'll grab you a beer." She gestured to the living room where the warm white lights of the tree mixed with the flickering of the quiet tv.   
  
He stood in the hall and watched her head to the kitchen, unabashedly watching her six in those jeans, topped with a dark maroon sweater and socked feet. The excited call of 'Uncle Jack!' brought him back to the present. "Hey kid," he cleared his throat. "Merry Christmas."  
  
She was curled up into the corner of the couch, a bowl of ice cream on her lap and a big smile on her face.   
  
"So how'd you make out?" He flopped down into the space next to her and dug his finger into the scoop of mint choc chip.   
  
"I got beanie babies and some books and some money, so I'm either going to buy a tamagochi or go to the movies with my friends."  
  
"Solid plan," he nodded, his mind drifting to Charlie's Christmas lists. When Sam hadn't appeared with a drink, he looked over his shoulder and still couldn't see her so went in search. "Hey."  
  
She looked up and smiled, "Hey. You eaten?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I have cake."  
  
"I could go a slice of cake. Wait, did you bake it?"  
  
"No."  
  
He lowered his voice, "Did Cassie bake it?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then I could go a slice of cake."  
  
She smiled as she turned back to the fridge and brought out a yellow sheet cake woth chocolate frosting, two plates and forks. She sat next to him on the island and forwent the plate to take a forkful.   
  
"How was Janet's?"  
  
She nodded until she swallowed her mouthful. "Nice. I haven't done a Christmas like that in a long time. What about you? Where did you end up?"  
  
"At home mainly." He didn't mention the trip to Charlie's grave, or to the bar straight after.   
  
She didn't push. She leant for another forkful of cake, steadying herself from toppling from the swivel chair with a hand on his knee. He looked to her nimble, thin fingers wrapped around his leg and only met her eyes when she smoothed her hand away, her lips dragging across the fork. His heart swelled the same way it had when she fingered the cuff of his sweater.   
  
To be in the blinding focus of her gaze, her attention, was heady. Like the world melted away and It was just them. A vacuum.   
  
Without the pretence of a spinning chair, he placed his hand on her knee. He could feel the strength in the muscles of her thigh, the change in the air as he slid slightly higher, the... the patter of little feet coming from the other room.   
  
"Aunt Sam?"  
  
Hands were retracted, back's straightened and smiles plastered on. "What's up, kiddo?"  
  
"I'm tired."  
  
Sam smiled, "Let's get you to bed, then." She turned back to Jack, "Pause?"   
  
"Pause."  
  
It was a half hour before she came back. Jack had moved into the living room, bringing with him the cake, forks and beers and sat on one side of the couch.  
  
She smiled at the sight, savouring it for when the house was cold on lonely nights when reality had crept back in. He had his back to her, silhouetted against the tree lights with his arm over the back of the couch. It was that Hallmark movie scene she balked at and secretly, somewhere deep down, wanted for herself.   
  
"She go down?" He asked when she crossed the room to sit on the couch.   
  
"Yeah. Barely got under the covers before she was out."  
  
"It's great how much Christmas wipes kids out," he handed her the forgotten beer.   
  
She took a mouthful and gestured to the small parcel on the table in red wrapping paper. "What's that?"  
  
"It's...I got you something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's nothing- It's not much. It's just... I saw it and..."  
  
"Can I open it?"  
  
He passed it to her as if she had made that decision, he had just brought it so it was her fault if she hated it.   
  
She slid her finger beneath the paper and tape and unwrapped a small box that held a tree ornament with a loop of green ribbon for it to hang. It was a small round glass trinket with ice skates etched inside and the year.  
  
"Like I said, it's nothing much, just-"  
  
"I love it."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
She took it from the box and crossed to the tree, picking a branch near the top star. The branch sagged a bit under the weight and she held her hand ready to catch the ornament should it fall. It bounced a few times but settled eventually.   
  
Jack stepped to her side silently. "Looks good."  
  
With not a word of warning or promise she turned to him, leant up slightly onto her toes and cupped his face for a kiss. She fixed her lips to his, tilted her head just a slight and stepped into him right as awareness and reality came back to him with crashing immediacy. He gripped her arm with one hand and cupped the back of her neck, manoeuvring her face to where he could deepen the kiss and feel the shiver run down her spine.   
  
She stepped down onto her heels, smoothing her body down his and her hands down his chest, "We shouldn't have done that."  
  
He kissed her forehead, keeping his lips to her skin and he admitted, "There's only so long you can pause."  
  
"And we didn't even need any Viscum..." She breathed in his cologne as his body vibrated with a chuckle, feeling his strong arms around her, and she had a sudden realisation: "Cassie..."  
  
He shrugged, "Don't all babysitters call a boy 'round so they can neck on the couch?"   
  
Her forehead hit his chest as he smiled, finally feeling her giggling against him once again. She slid her fingers between his, guiding him back to the couch. They were quickly embraced once again, daring fingers toying with clothing hems and heartbeats hammering inside their chests. "Merry Christmas, Carter."  
  
"Merry Christmas, Jack."  
  
  



End file.
